Ascent of Wittenberg Mountain on 2010-08-14

Ascent Trip Report

As I'd climbed Slide Mountain multiple times previously from its west side, I was eager to finally do the much more difficult ascent from the east, crossing Wittenberg and Cornell on the way. My nephew and I spent 10 hours on the trail (about 8 of it actually hiking, the rest snapping photos, chatting with fellow hikers, and taking some contemplative breaks) on a near-perfect Saturday morning. Temperatures were moderate (low 70s) and a persistent light breeze kept us from getting TOO overheated. Trail conditions were superb and traffic was quite light, even for a Saturday hike. Despite some of the commentary we'd read prior to attempting the eastern ascent of Slide, we found the ascent of Wittenberg more challenging. Views from the summit were superb; the perspective on Ashokan Reservoir is unmatched by any other I've seen.